"(JUST AS THERE ARE LEGENDS ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE EARTH, THE SUN, THE MOON, CORN, TEQUILA HAD ONE OF ITS OWN) "

THE ORIGIN OF THE AGAVE GOES BACK TO THE TIME OF THE AZTECS AND THEIR DEITIES." MAYAHUEL "IS THE MANY BREASTED GODDESS OF FERTILITY AND THE GODDESS OF THE MAGUEY PLANT, THE PLANT FROM WHICH TEQUILA IS DERIVED. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF MANY RABBIT GODS AND IT IS SAID THAT SHE FEEDS HER CHILDREN FROM HER 400 BREASTS, ALL OF WHICH PRODUCE THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE. THUS, THEY SAY THAT THE RABBITS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANY FORMS OF DRUNKENNESS. SHE RULES THE EARTH, THE NIGHT SKY, HALLUCINATIONS, AS WELL AS DRUNKENNESS.

LEGEND HAS IT THAT WHEN THE EARTH FIRST BEGAN THERE WAS A GODDESS OF THE HEAVENS WHO WAS CALLED "TZINTZIMILLE". NOW, SHE WAS AN EVIL ONE, A GODDESS WHO DEVOURED THE LIGHT AND PLUNGED THE EARTH INTO DARKNESS SO SHE COULD FORCE MANKIND TO OFFER HUMAN SACRIFICES IN ORDER TO OBTAIN JUST A LITTLE LIGHT FROM HER. QUETZACOATL/EHECATL, THE GOD OF REDEMPTION, GREW TIRED OF HER GAMES AND DECIDED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT; HE ASCENDED UP TO THE SKY TO DO BATTLE WITH THE EVIL ONE, BUT INSTEAD, HE CAME ACROSS MAYAHUEL, THE EVIL ONE'S BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTER. QUETZACOATL FELL MADLY IN LOVE WITH HER AND, INSTEAD OF SLAYING THE EVIL ONE, HE PERSUADED MAYAHUEL TO RETURN TO THE EARTH WITH HIM AND BECOME HIS WIFE.

WHEN THE EVIL ONE DISCOVERED THIS, SHE WAS FURIOUS AND BEGAN SEARCHING ALL OVER FOR THE COUPLE, AND THE TWO LOVERS WERE FORCED TO RUN FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER IN ORDER TO HIDE FROM HER. THEN, ONE DAY THEY GREW TIRED OF RUNNING; BESIDES, THERE WAS NO PLACE LEFT WHERE THEY COULD HIDE, SO THE PAIR DECIDED TO BECOME TREES, ONE BESIDE THE OTHER, CLOSE ENOUGH SO THAT WHEN THE WIND BLEW, THEIR LEAVES WOULD CARESS ONE ANOTHER.

AND AS THE STORY GOES, THE PAIR LIVED LIKE THAT FOR AWHILE, BUT EVENTUALLY THE EVIL ONE FOUND THEM; MAYAHUEL WAS EATEN UP BY THE STARS AND HER REMNANTS BURIED IN THE GROUND. QUETZALCOATL FLEW OFF INTO THE SKY AND KILLED THE EVIL ONE. THE LIGHT WAS FINALLY RETURNED TO THE EARTH, BUT QUETZALCOATL HAD LOST THE ONE HE LOVED. EACH NIGHT HE WOULD GO TO HER GRAVE AND CRY. THE OTHER GODS, SEEING THIS, DECIDED THAT THEY SHOULD DO SOMETHING FOR HIM. AT THE BURIAL SITE, A PLANT HAD BEGUN TO GROW, AND THE GODS DECIDED TO GIVE VERY SPECIAL PROPERTIES TO THIS PLANT...HALLUCINOGENIC PROPERTIES THAT WOULD COMFORT QUETZALCOATL'S SOUL. HENCE, FROM THEN ON, HE COULD DRINK THE MAGICAL ELIXIR THAT CAME FROM THE PLANT AND FIND COMFORT.

AND, FROM THAT POINT ON, THE NECTAR FROM THE AGAVE PLANT BECAME A RITUAL BEVERAGE AND A CERMONIAL OFFERING FOR THE GODS AND OTHER HOLY BEINGS.

AS THE EGYPTIAN GODDESS OF THE HARVEST, "RENENUTET" (SHE WHO REARS) WAS A DEITY PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO GRAPE GROWERS. THIS MADE HER A GODDESS OF WINE AND LED TO MANY PEOPLE SACRIFICING TO HER DURING TIMES OF HARVEST...HOPING THAT THEIR SACRIFICES WOULD LEAD TO FERTILITY AND GROWTH. SHE WAS SOMETIMES VIEWED AS THE WIFE OF SOBEK, WHO WAS OFTEN CREDITED WITH ANNUALLY FLOODING THE NILE AND ALLOWING HARVESTING TO TAKE PLACE. COINCIDENTALLY, THIS ALLOWED HIM TO ALSO BE VIEWED AS A WINE GOD, LEAVING ME TO BELIEVE THAT RENENUTET AND SOBEK'S WEDDING MUST HAVE BEEN OPEN BAR.

IN HER ROLE OF FERTILITY GODDESS, "RENENUTET" WAS KNOWN AS THE "LADY OF FERTILE FIELDS" AND "LADY OF GRANARIES". AN ANNUAL FESTIVAL WAS DEDICATED TO HER HONOR AND SHE WAS OFFERED THE BEST YIELDS OF THE CROPS. THERE WAS ALSO OFTEN A SHRINE DEDICATED TO HER NEAR A WINE PRESS OR VAT, SO SHE COULD RECEIVE THE OFFERINGS OF THE WINE MAKERS.

RENENUTET WAS A GODDESS OF GREAT POWER WHO WAS PORTRAYED WITH THE HEAD OF A SNAKE. HER GAZE, IT WAS SAID, COULD WITHER HER ENEMIES, BUT IT COULD ALSO GRANT GREAT ABUNDANCE TO CROPS AND LIVESTOCK. SHE WAS ALSO THE CARETAKER OF CHILDREN TO WHOM SHE GAVE NOURISHMENT AND A DESTINY, AND IT WAS SAID THAT NEWBORNS HAD HER ON THEIR SHOULDER FROM THEIR FIRST DAY OF LIFE.

THE "HYMN OF RENENUTET" SAYS: "I WILL MAKE THE NILE SWELL FOR YOU","WITHOUT THERE BEING A YEAR OF LACK AND EXHAUSTION IN THE WHOLE LAND","SO THE PLANTS WILL FLOURISH, BENDING UNDER THEIR FRUIT"."THE LAND OF EGYPT IS BEGINNING TO STIR AGAIN","THE SHORES ARE SHINING WONDERFULLY","AND WEALTH AND WELL-BEING DWELL WITH THEM","AS IT HAD BEEN BEFORE".

"GULLVEIG" WAS A VANIR GODDESS; SHE WAS POSSIBLY A GODDESS OF HEALING SHE WAS A SORCERESS AND SEERESS WHO HAD A GREAT LOVE AND LUST FOR GOLD. ONE DAY SHE APPEARED AT THE GREAT HALL OF ODIN AND BEGAN TO CONVERSE WITH THE GODS. THEY DISCUSSED VARIOUS TOPICS, BUT EVENTUALLY THE CONVERSATION ROLLED AROUND TO GULLVEIG'S FAVORITE TOPIC, AND SHE SPOKE OF NOTHING ELSE BUT HER LOVE OF THE PRECIOUS METAL. ODIN WEARIED OF THIS TALK AND AND TRIED TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER TOPIC, BUT BUT SHE COULD NOT BE DISSUADED AND CONTINUED TO SHARE OF HER LOVE FOR GOLD.

NOW, MIND YOU, AT THIS POINT OF THE STORY, ODIN HAD NO IDEA THAT SHE WAS ACTUALLY A GODDESS OF ANOTHER RACE OF GODS...OR PERHAPS HE WOULDN'T HAVE STRUCK HER DOWN SO CRUELLY. THEY HURLED HER INTO A GREAT FIRE. AND, ALTHOUGH SHE BURNED TO DEATH, SHE STEPPED OUT FROM THE FLAMES UNSCATHED. THREE TIMES SHE WAS BURNED, AND ALL THREE TIMES SHE WAS REBORN.

NOW, WHEN GULLVEIG RETURNED TO HER HOME AND TOLD OF HOW CRUELY SHE HAD BEEN TREATED, THE VANIR BECAME INCENSED WITH ANGER AND DEMANDED REPARATION IN THE FORM OF THE SAME STATUS AND PRIVILEGE OF THE AESIR, BUT THE AESIR REFUSED. HENCE IT WAS THAT THE VANIR SWORE VENGEANCE AND BEGAN TO PREPARE FOR WAR. WHEN THE AESIR HEARD ABOUT THIS, THEY MOVED AGAINST THE VANIR IN THE FIRST WAR THAT THE WORLD HAD EVER KNOWN. THE BATTLE RAGED FOR A LONG TIME, NO ONE KNOWS HOW LONG FOR SURE, WITH NEITHER SIDE GAINING MUCH GROUND. EVENTUALLY THE GODS BECAME WEARY OF WAR AND BEGAN TO TALK OF PEACE. BOTH SIDES SWORE TO LIVE SIDE BY SIDE IN PEACE.

THE TALE OF GULLVEIG AND HER VISIT WITH ODIN IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF HOW POORLY WOMEN WERE TREATED IN THE PAST. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONSIDER THE VANIR'S RESPONSE FOR IT SHOWS THEY HELD THEIR GODDESS IN HIGH ESTEEM... REPRESENTING A MATRIARCHAL SOCIETY WHEREAS ODIN AND HIS CREW WERE MORE MALE-ORIENTED...REPRESENTING A PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY.